Awards & Honours
Recognition spanning four decades
From government fellowships to national writing competitions, a record of recognition for Santhini Govindan's contribution to children's literature in India.
Government of India
Junior Fellowship in Literature
August 1996 – August 1998
Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India
Awarded to write historical fiction for children in short story form.
Government of India
Senior Fellowship in Literature
February 2002 – February 2004
Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India
Awarded for research on "Children’s Literature in English in India – Its Growth and Development."
International recognition
2001
Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop Scholarship
Highlights Foundation, Chautauqua, New York, USA
First Indian writer to receive an invitation to attend the annual Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, New York.
Children's Book Trust National Competition
National Competition for Writers of Children's Books — prizes won since 1987.
Prize in Social Emotional Learning (5–8 years)
Two prizes in short stories (9–12 years)
Creative Non-fiction prize (9–12 years)
First prize — "Get Ready for a Magical Time" (9–12 years)
The Magic of Curly Whorly
Second prize — Concept Books (3–5 years)
Hiding
Read Aloud/Picture Books prize (5–8 years)
The Playful Wind
First prize — Read Aloud/Picture Books (5–8 years)
The Anger of Apsu
Additional prize — Read Aloud/Picture Books (5–8 years)
Prize — Short Story "Sovereign Tales" (9–12 years)
Prize in Concept Books
Counting Clouds
Prize in school stories
Two prizes for short stories; one for folk stories
Prize for teenage stories; one for folk stories
Two prizes for short stories; one for picture books
Prize in picture books; prize in read-aloud books
Prize in picture book category
Other Competitions & Prizes
Katha SFE 2022 Runner-up Prize
"Prep Classes for Life" in Online Encounters and More, 12 Teenage Stories
Children's Book Trust, New Delhi
2022
Book included on the Parag Honour List 2023 (Tata Trusts).
Top 10 — Verse of Silence Micro-tale Contest
2022
Story within 100 words selected among the top 10 entries.
First Place — Half-Baked Beans "Pitch Your Book" Competition
Chotu Finds a Home
2021
Writefluence SINGLES SEASON Contest
“A Reward for Honesty”
March 2022
Story won the SINGLES SEASON contest and was published on Amazon Kindle.
Writefluence Prize-Winning Stories
2020–2021
"Mrs. Rosewood's Family" (1 of 82 entries, Sep 2021); "The Giving Tree" and "It's All Written in the Stars" (1 of 209 submissions each, Jun 2021); "Mambally Bapu Takes the Cake" — Penfluenza Contest (1 of 142 entries, Dec 2020).
Third prize — Reliance Timeout / Unisun Writing Competition
"The Clever Cure"
2009–10
Tinkle Original Short Story Competitions (3 wins)
India Book House, Mumbai — 5th, 6th, and 8th Competitions
1995, 1996, 1998
National recognition
National Foundation for Communal Harmony — Textbook Selection
"Sometimes Different is Delightful"
2010
Story selected for the national textbook "One Big Family" (2010) for Classes V–X, published in English and Hindi.
NCERT Reading Recommendation — The Anger of Apsu
The Anger of Apsu recommended by the NCERT Department of Elementary Education for Grades III–IV. Hindi version "Aapsoo ko Gussa Aaya" on the CBSE Reading Promotion List for Classes 1–3.
Highlights Foundation Scholarship — First Indian Invitee
2001
First Indian writer invited to the annual Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop in Chautauqua, New York.
Educational impact
The Ice Cream Dragon & Other Stories — Prescribed Textbook
HarperCollins India, 1993
Prescribed textbook at Jessie Moses Matriculation School, Chennai (Std. V) and Jamnabai Narsee School, Mumbai (2001–2004). 200,000 copies purchased by Heinz Foods India Limited in 1996.
Where Does the Wind Live? — University Prescribed Text
Prescribed text for the University of Mumbai certificate course. Translated into Tamil, Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu, and Odia.
Wally Grows Up & The Playful Wind — Karnataka State Schools
2024
Both titles selected for Karnataka state school reading lists in 2024.
Judging & mentoring
“Dharam S. Hinduja” Essay Writing Competition for Lecturers
January 2012
Assessed entries for the competition conducted by K.P.B. Hinduja College of Commerce, Charni Road, Mumbai.
“Mentoring Young Poets” Programme
February 2012 – March 2013
Mentor critiquing poetry written by schoolchildren. Programme conceived by The Robin Age in collaboration with Katha Books, New Delhi.
Robin Age Bright Sparks National Writing Competition
Since 2015
Judge for the poetry section of this national children’s writing competition.
Press & media
Interviewed or featured in the following publications.